String or hair algae !

This is a discussion on String or hair algae ! within the Beginner Freshwater Aquarium forums, part of the Freshwater Fish and Aquariums category; -->
here's my lights byron . I get cabomba here but how do i make them float ? do i anchor them to the side, ...

Oh yes and I've switched my liquid fertilizer to Sera florena which was lying around from a promotion offer ...... oops i just noticed it has enriched iron, chelated iron hmmm .. It also has Zinc , Copper, Magnesium, Manganese and calcium .... should i continue with this or try to find another fertilizer that does have iron as an "enriched" ingrediant , right now i'm trying to get my plants to flourish and deprive the algae of it's nutrients.

I've also taken out the carbon in my filter and replaced it with a sponge um should i use bio balls in that space instead ?

I'm not familiar with that lighting, but it seems bright, so reducing the duration will help. i suppose one of the tubes can't be removed and the other still light?

Most all fertilizers will have iron in them, but it will be balanced with the other nutrients in good products like Sera, Flourish, FlorinMulti.

Filter doesn't matter, with plants all you need is mechanical, so the floss/pads are probably more useful.

Cabomba will float if you just lay the stems across the surface. You cold bunch them at the cut end and use a piece of cotton thread to tie that end to a filter stem or something if you want to have them in a certain spot. If there is surface movement they will probably float around otherwise.

Lighting appears to be two 55 watt bulbs over 20 to 25 gal tank for 110 watts of CFL lighting.
I think without pressurized CO2 and increase in all nutrient's both macro, and micro,that this lighting will only encourage excess algae even with six to eight hour photoperiod.
Do not believe CO2 tablet's would maybe last long enough to provide what is needed under this lighting .
Maybe DIY CO2 application could make improvement but reducing intensity to half what is now being used ,would not place such a demand from plant's for more CO2 than is available and consequently more demand for nutrient's.

Maybe DIY CO2 application could make improvement but reducing intensity to half what is now being used ,would not place such a demand from plant's for more CO2 than is available and consequently more demand for nutrient's.

Problem is i don't think that i can get a check valve over here , is it quite a common item ?
anyway is there anyway i can change or modify the design , but with something else in place of the check valve ?